By Addison Burke and Mattie Cieplak, Staff Writers
Over the past two weekends, Xavier theatre put on their annual student showcase with three productions: The Moors, Non-player Character and a Choreographers’ Workshop.
I had the opportunity to see The Moors, directed by senior English and Theatre double major Tessa D’Errico, which follows the lives of two sisters, their maid, their dog and the arrival of a new governess along with a moorhen.
Plays are typically not my preferred choice of theater to see, but I greatly enjoyed the show and found myself laughing throughout. I had never heard of The Moors before seeing this production, but I absolutely fell in love with the show. I was wowed by the talent of all the actors.
My favorite moment was Huldey’s power ballad after (spoiler alert) murdering her sister Agatha. Mattie Cieplak (who played Huldey) made this number so hilarious because of how boisterous and passionate she was about the song.
For that matter, all three of the actresses who sang in the show did so beautifully. Both Agatha (played by Sarah Malarney) and Emilie, the governess, (played by Molly Franzen) sang soft ballads in the show, and they both had such beautiful voices that made the moments even more special.
At the end of the show, there was a talkback hosted by English Department Chair Dr. Jodi Wyett along with D’Errico, Cieplak and theater professors Carolyn Guido Clifford and Bridget Leak. In the talkback, they discussed the themes of the show, including the female influence and characteristics within the show, the queerness present and the gothic nature of the show. This was a great opportunity to hear from this group and what they loved so much about The Moors.
This year’s student showcase saw Xavier Theatre’s first-ever Choreographers’ Workshop.
Five student choreographers developed two original pieces and taught them to four dancers throughout a four-week rehearsal process. Styles included hip-hop, tap, contemporary, jazz, ragtime, ballet and more.
The choreographers were seniors Abigail Dirr, Anthony Frederickson, Sienna Glaze and Alexis Pinto, as well as junior Tierra London Rush.
The production was impressive. Dancers were in up to eight dances with minimal time offstage for costume changes, but an audience member would never have known. These dancers conveyed storytelling in all that they did, each shaped by the choreographer they worked with and the style of the dance they were performing.
It was clear that all who were involved in the production wanted it to succeed as costuming and lighting were also stellar. This was meaningful to see as an audience member, especially with it being entirely student-driven.
Throughout the show, choreographers had an opportunity to share a speech about their work. Each emphasized their love of dance and their inspirations. Some were inspired by a specific cause or theme; others were inspired by the lyrics of their song, and some were looking to create choreography that generated a certain emotion for all who witnessed it.
An art talk was held after with dance faculty member Teresa VanDenend Sorge and the choreographers. Audience members learned more about the environment that the choreographers wanted to facilitate and the benefits and challenges of the overall process.
I’m hoping this will be a new Xavier Theatre tradition for years to come.
Non-Player Character (NPC)was gut-wrenching. The title, which references NPCs in video games who move the story of the player along, implies a plot without emotion. The opposite is true.
Act I is full of humor and fantastical worlds. Audiences experience Katja’s game, SpearLight (a video game the characters play), The Social (social media), and the Real World. Act II is much more sinister. SpearLight is abandoned, The Social and Katja’s game become darker, and the Real World seems more… real.
NPC was directed by senior Anna Verderber.
The sound and lights were immersive, and the props and costumes felt natural and well-placed.
My main critique is how easy it was to lose important plot points, a fault of the script.
Playwright Walt McGough introduces important information quickly, without referencing it again. This can cause audiences to miss information if they are not paying attention to the right thing at the right time.
However, the actors’ commitment led the story and showed audiences the stakes of the situation, even if the context was not clear.
After the Saturday night performance, Xavier Theatre held a talkback moderated by junior Tierra London Rush. Panelists included Verderber; junior Erin Bonham; senior Jordan Marro, BRAVE Peer Educator; and Christina Bolden, a psychology graduate student. They discussed NPC’s themes, cyberbullying and internet sexual harassment and how we can help prevent the cycle from continuing.
“It’s wonderful to see how art can heal communities. Humans are meaning makers, and using art to give meaning to our experiences provides catharsis,” Bolden said.